Field of the Invention
The present patent application relates generally to the field of product containers, particularly a container that indicates whether or not a product inside the container has been tampered with.
Background
The possibility of product tampering is an issue that is unfortunately faced by many consumers, merchants, and others in the retail chain. Consumers want to know that a product housed in a package is the original product that was placed there by a manufacturer, and not a counterfeit replacement or similar product of a lower quality substituted in the package by a nefarious party. Similarly, merchants want to know that a product they receive has not been tampered with during shipment and is indeed the original product they ordered from a supplier.
Many tamper-evident containers exist that are designed to determine whether a sealed container has been opened. For example, they often show if a seal on the container has been broken, thereby indicating the possibility that a product inside the formerly sealed container has been tampered with. However, such containers require that the product initially be housed entirely within the sealed container. As such, they would not be suitable when it is desired that a portion of the product extend out of the container.
Products are often packaged for sale, storage, or transport with at least a portion of the product left uncovered by packaging. For example, plants can be packaged in containers that substantially enclose their roots, while stems, leaves, petals, and/or other elements can extend outside the container. As such, portions of a plant that extend out of such a container can have access to air, water, and light, and/or be visible to be evaluated by people viewing the packaged plant. Similarly, other types of products can be packaged with some portions housed inside a container while other portions extend out of the container for display or other purposes.
What is needed is a tamper-evident container that allows users to detect product tampering when the product is not completely sealed within the container.